Malaria in Goa

5 January 2007

Over late December 2006 and early January 2007, four cases of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in travellers who visited northern Goa have been reported from three European countries. The travellers had visited beach resorts north of Panaji.

In recent years, numbers of malaria cases reported from India have been low and decreasing, so that most advisors, including the ACMP, have ceased recommending chemoprophylaxis for visitors to low-risk regions. This cluster of cases has coincided with increased rainfall in the affected region.

ACMP advises that travel advisors should highlight the risk of malaria, instruct on the use of mosquito bite avoidance measures, and recommend malaria chemoprophylaxis to those travellers who will be visiting Goa, particularly areas north of Panaji, who will be remote from medical care. This advice remains in effect until further notice as the situation is clarified.

The recommended chemoprophylaxis is chloroquine plus proguanil. Alternatives are mefloquine, atovaquone plus proguanil (Malarone ®) or doxycycline.

All travellers to Goa should use mosquito bite avoidance measures and be aware of the risk of malaria.

An early review of this advice will be made, based on surveillance for malaria cases.

All travellers should seek medical attention promptly if they become unwell and inform their doctor that they have been in a malarious area. The healthcare worker should consider malaria in every ill patient who has recently returned from the tropics and for those with a fever on return from the tropics the illness should be considered to be malaria until proven otherwise.

Last reviewed: 8 December 2008